My first singing lesson was on January 4 2016; they've continued weekly with very few breaks; let's say a round figure of 500. Initially they lasted an hour; I upped the fee and V - almost perversely - increased lessons to 90 minutes.
Gradually the songs got more difficult. Recently V launched a very, very difficult song: Der Muller und Der Bach, number 19 in the 20-song Schöne Müllerin cycle by Schubert. I ask myself: will I ever master it?
Listen to it HERE.
See if you can identify why it's so damn difficult. While being musically terrific.
Modulation?
ReplyDeleteSir Hugh: Sir Hugh: Modulation is generally defined as: "to vary (one's voice, etc) in tone, pitch, etc". It forms the basis of most songs except those consisting of a single unchanging note. It requires further expansion. I've only encountered the word once and that was perjoratively: ie, when a singer foresees a high note beyond that singer's range and, while singing, changes what remains of the whole song to a lower key. I will explain the problem if there's any interest but any hint of musical technicality usually leads to comment no-no.
ReplyDeleteSir Hugh: On reflection I think things may be clarified if the general (dictionary) definition adds "from that which is written" after "vary".
ReplyDeleteBelow are two of the several definitions from my on-line dictionary.
ReplyDelete1. variation in the strength, tone, or pitch of one's voice:
2. Music: a change from one key to another in a piece of music:
Their bold approach to harmony and modulation.
Tthere is a beautiful modulation from B flat to G major.
I think my suggestion related to those definitions, that is something like what I was thinking.I can only try to explain in layman's rather than technically musical terms. In the music (song) there seemed to be numerous instances where there were significant leaps from low to higher pitch or vice versa combined with a contrasting tonal expression.
Sounds like there are a ton of key changes. The only reference I’d ever heard prior to today’s investigations was hearing a friend (male, guitarist, singer) scold an accompanying singer (female) that she was “overmodulating”. I heard the offense as a pulsing from loud to less loud, and while can’t recall the frequency of the pulse, I did find it annoying. It had the same feel as an overly done vibrato. So many frequencies to deal with here and I’m trying to avoid my usual hyphenations.
ReplyDeleteI’m thinking my friend (from a family rooted in music) may have used ”over modulated” correctly in describing an AMPLITUDE modulation. FREQUENCY modulation would more accurately describe vibrato, in my unlearned bean. I suspect a trained radio technician could go deep on this AM:FM stuff.
Other found info refers to modulation as a means of changing keys. And even that modulation is defined as key change. Half step frequency changes to insert oneself into the intervals of a different key,
So, my instinct that there are many key changes here tries harder to ring true.
The man has a well practiced “five o’clock shadow” look, and he’s probably paid at least as much attention to learning this piece. It sounds hard and lovely - ever a good combination.
Somehow I’d thought your lessons might have ended. I’m glad they haven’t. How the hell did “don’t let it get the better of you” come to mean what it does?
Sir Hugh/MikeM: All these discursions seem relevant; thus, for me, I doubt I'll ever use the word again. It has too many meanings. The point I was trying to make (about the song's difficulties) was twofold: much of it is in a minor key and, more important, most of it is confined to a very narrow dynamic range. The singer must, therefore, have a very good ear (ie, much better than mine) and must work hard to avoid falling into what I call the sol-fa trap, rounding off phrases in the major key and losing all their delicacy. In a phrase: very little elbow room
ReplyDelete